Collaboration
by AdraLoran
Summary: AU Wraith Squadron: Post-Insubordinate, -Let Downs, -WTFN, etc. Daala gets her paws on the other computer hacker...or it is a on purpose? Co-written with NicolaAfyon
1. The Set Scene

Story Title:  Collaboration  
Author:  AdraLoran, co-written with NicolaAfyon  
Keywords:  Wraith Squadron, Face Loran, Adra Loran, Nicola Afyon, Bror Afyon  
Timeframe: AU Post-Battle of Yavin (Approx. 11 years ABY)  
Dramatis Personae:  
NRI Head Iella Wessiri Antilles (female human)  
General Wedge Antilles (male human)  
Colonel Jagged Fel (male human)  
Colonel Jaina Solo (female human)  
Colonel Tycho Celchu (male human)  
Commander Garik 'Face' Loran (male human)  
Captain Kell Tainer (male human)  
Captain Nicola Afyon (female human)  
Captain Tyria Tainer (female human)  
Lieutenant Adra Loran (female human)  
Lieutenant Bror Afyon (male human)  
Lieutenant Jade Veila (female human)  
Lieutenant Tyria Ritril (female human)  
Flight Officer Cloud Ritril (male human)  
Flight Officer Ryok Necxo (male human)  
Liselle Afyon (female human)  
Melidere Afyon (female human)  
Inyri Loran (female human)  
Davin Fel (male human)  
Rane Fel (male human)  
Doran Tainer (male human)  
Koyi Afyon (female human)  
Tynian Afyon (male human)  
Kavin Ritril (male human)  
Jacinta Loran (female human)  
Elex Tainer (male human)  
Saraiyu Tainer (female human)  
Keira Fel (female human)

**Chapter One – The Set Scene**

Face Loran took one more glance behind him his gaze finding that of Nicola Afyon. She held his two children in firm check, the three-and-a-half-year-old Inyri by a hand and the half-year old Ciny on her thigh. Then Face looked ahead of him again and climbed into his X-Wing. Vape was already settled there, whistling and tooting the information about his craft.

Adra had been missing for two and half weeks, having gotten caught in the _Knight Hammer_'s tractor beams in the New Republics run on the Imps at Cloud City. In spite of the fact that his wife was missing, the sacrifice on her part had allowed the NR to seize victory. The only thing was that Face didn't think it had been a fair trade, not in any sense. His daughters hadn't understood why Mommy hadn't come home with everyone else.

However, according to General Antilles, there was reason to hope. Even though Adra had been on Daala's most wanted list, along with most of the other Wraiths, for a while now, Wedge had said she probably wouldn't even be with the Imps over a month. Face had believed, albeit begrudgingly, that Wedge was right. The only thing that caused him to doubt now was that not only Nicola and Cloud couldn't feel Adra in the Force, but Inyri had questioned him as to why Mommy was 'invisible'. And while he didn't know for sure, Face was pretty sure Ciny would've made the same complaint if she could've expressed herself properly.

With a jolt, Face realized he had landed at Rogue Squadron's headquarters. He climbed out of his X-Wing's cockpit, told Vape to stay put, and walked inside the building. Wedge, along with his message not to worry, had asked Face to come over as soon as possible. In compliance, Face had gone to Rogue as quickly as he had been able to beg Nicola to watch his kids.

"Face," a voice called behind him. "Come on, I've got someone you might be...er...'interested' in talking to," Face turned around in time to see Wedge hurriedly pointing him into a nearby conference room. Briefly, hope flared in him that it would be Adra, but the look Wedge wore quickly stifled it.

As he entered, Wedge grabbed his forearm. "Face, you can't say anything; promise me that. If you do, this could fail." Perplexed, but nonetheless willing to comply if this little 'mission' told anything about Wedge trying to get Adra back, Face nodded. Wedge gestured towards a chair to the side of the room as he himself sat down in front of a Holocomm.

A minute passed in silence, and then the comm sprung to life. They only thing that kept Face in his chair and not yelling at the figure was his promise. He saw Wedge cast him a silencing glance before his gaze locked on the figure before him. On Admiral Daala.

"Admiral," Wedge greeted her with a nod.

Daala nodded a reply, and then said, "General Antilles." She stopped to scratch her cheek, then went on. "Before you say anything more, I want some things answered. Specifically, about your friend, Miss Tallon." Face felt his throat constrict as an obviously-battered Adra was shoved into the Holocomm's view. Daala put a hand on her shoulder as if she were a long-time friend gripping an acquaintances shoulder. Face grit his teeth in an effort to remain quiet as an expression of pain flashed across his wife's face. The Imperial was speaking again, grinning sardonically as she spoke half into Adra's ear, half at Wedge. "Say hello to your friend, deary."

Even at this distance, Face could make out Daala's hand tightening on Adra's shoulder. The contortion on her face told enough to enable the viewer understanding that there must've been a hidden bruise there.

"Hi...Wedge," she said, wincing. Daala did something else and Adra's face contorted into a far more wrenching expression. Next instant, the Admiral had literally shoved Adra aside, no doubt to waiting stormtroopers.

"Now, back to what I was saying." Face hardly paid attention to her, his eyes boring into the projection above the Holocomm, willing Adra to reappear. "Some of my officers have 'suggested' that your computer hacker married Face Loran a few years ago." Face saw she was grinning slightly, albeit a cold one. "Should such honestly be the case, there can be no agreement. As you know, I'm sure, I have a bit of a grudge against Face Loran which would make the idea of giving her back, while already against my better judgment, quite preposterous."

Wedge stared at Daala's figure, a weary expression on his face. He glanced up quickly, and Face thought he saw an 'I'm sorry' on it. "_Marred_ to Face Loran? Come now, Admiral, I thought you were more intelligent than that. Surely you know that the only time those two get together is to fight."

Face stared at him, mouth slightly open, then he shook his head. Well, whatever worked. Admiral Daala, Face saw, was grinning very slightly as she nodded.

"Well enough, I suppose," she said. "That wouldn't explain why she's pregnant, would it?" Face closed his eyes, cringing. So Daala knew. Wedge's surprise was clearly etched on his face. "However," Daala continued with a sneer, "I'm open to trading. The Cloud City arrangement still stands. Daala out."

Immediately, questions filled Face's mind. What Cloud City arrangement? How had Daala figured it out? What was Wedge going to do? Wedge slumped back in his chair as he stared out in front of him across the table.

"Wedge..." Face began, only to trail off. What was he supposed to say, after all?

Wedge looked over at him, sighing heavily. "Loran, how come _you_ couldn't've been the one to tell me that? Why did it have to be Daala?"

Inhaling sharply, Face sighed as he released the breath. There wasn't actually a reason, only that that had been the last thing she'd said to him before her comm had quit in her X-Wing. That and that she was several weeks pregnant- six, to be precise- and she was having twins and that she was sorry she hadn't told him sooner. Not to mention that the twins hadn't been planned, though that hadn't been said. After that, he'd been so consumed with trying to get Adra back, and yelling at Wedge and Tycho and nearly everyone else he knew to do the same, that he'd forgotten to mention it.

"Because, sir, it slipped my mind." Wedge looked at him with a disbelieving raised eyebrow. "I only found out when she was in the tractor beams." Face knew the 'excuse' sounded lame, but it was the truth. Wedge shook his head, cursing quietly. "Twins," Face mused aloud, more to himself than anyone else. In spite of himself, Face felt a tear roll down his cheek. The first was soon followed by another. If Daala had done anything to Adra to affect the twins, there would be more than hell to pay. Quickly he wiped his cheeks, looking up to see Wedge watching him.

"You okay?" Wedge asked. Face nodded silently, hoping more tears wouldn't start. Wedge saved him from answering verbally by asking another question. Or something like it. "Boy am I glad Iella never got dragged off when she was pregnant... Face, pity an old guy and his hearing, but did you say 'twins'?"


	2. The Mission

**Chapter Two – The ****Mission**

Nicola smiled at her older daughters and their 'triplet' as the three of them went about showing Jacinta how to put together a detonator.  Of course, with uncles like the Wraith children had, specifically Kell, Ryok and Cloud.  Of course, Adra also seemed to enjoy blowing things up...

With a sigh, she reached over and grabbed Ciny, keeping her from holding the explosive when it went off.  When it did go off, the explosion went straight up, about three feet, a miniature of what Kell's and Cloud's real equipment could do.  While 'normal' parents might have issues with their needs to indulge her children with 'toys' that exploded, Nicola didn't have a problem with it, so long as said children didn't get hurt with them.  Neither, or course, did Adra or either Tyrias.

Adra...  Missing for two and a half weeks.  While it was hard not to tell Face- and half the other people in the squad, for that matter- what was really up, Nicola had to remain silent.  Even though... well, just because everything else had gone wrong so far didn't mean what Adra had been sent to do had... she hoped.

While Face Loran had no clue what was really going on, Nicola, Tyria Ritril, Wedge and Iella were the only people who really knew the plan, and what it might cost the Lorans in the long run, Adra had been willing to go through with it.  Even if it meant giving up time with her daughters...and possibly losing the unborn twins.  She hadn't figured into it, however, that Daala would've had ysalamiri waiting on board the _Knight Hammer._

On top of all that, Adra had lied to Face.  She wasn't actually six weeks pregnant.  No, it was more like two and a half months.  However, this plan had been in motion for nearly four months and Adra had known that above all, Face couldn't know.  He'd only make more of an effort and press to get her out of there.  And then they wouldn't get the information they needed.  Besides, that was why Adra was in there in the first place:  to get the inside information.

Across the room, she felt Bror's presence approaching the closed door.  Ty and Koyi were with him and, to her slight shock, so was Face.  And Face was livid.

The door slid back and Nicola saw Ty and Koyi running over towards her, their expressions gleeful.  The younger twins hid quickly behind her and Nicola looked from their faces to Bror's.  Her husband raised an eyebrow at her and cast a meaningful look at Face, accompanying it with a mental image of a storm cloud.

Nicola stared at him, then looked to Face and back, noting the severely pissed look on his face.

"So," he said, without any preamble other than Bror moving their children into another room, Face's daughters running over to him.  "How long were you in on this?"

Nicola cringed inwardly.  So Wedge _had told him.  Before she could answer, Face was talking again._

"While I understand the basis behind keeping this mission from me, you failed to tell me that six weeks was a lie.  I've no doubt in my mind that you were involved in shielding and blocking all this information that I've also got no doubt I would've figured out otherwise," Face said.  Inyri and Ciny both scowled up at him, looking like they were unsure whether or not to cry or just hide behind Bror.  Face went on, "Like, for example, the fact that Adra would be showing right now while in a tank top.  Someone obviously did a kriffing mind trick to either make me think I was being delirious or to erase my memory at that point."

Nicola glanced down at the two Loran girls, watching their expressions both visible and through the Force.  She saw Face glance down at them even as she summoned them over to her.  Inyri took Ciny's hand and led her younger sister over to her.  Nicola picked up the younger of the two girls, Bror picking up Inyri, and she looked at Face again.  "After I make sure your children aren't going to be mentally scarred for the rest of their lives, I'll tell you."

Before he could respond with an answer of any kind, Nicola lead Bror, Inyri in hand, to the other room where their own four children were now sitting in a lopsided circle, the older two using telekinesis to make Koyi and Tynian's toys float in and out of reach.  Normally Nicola would've told the girls to quit it and give their siblings the toys, but today she merely put Ciny down next to Meli and walked back out into the main room, using the Force to close the door behind her.

"Alright, Face Loran, I'll give you your answer," she said, coming to a halt in front of him.  "This whole mission was thought up about four months ago and yes, Adra was in on it from the beginning.  I trust Wedge already spilled everything he knew with you, however, that doesn't mean you have to come in here like a raging idiot.  That's exactly why Adra _didn't tell you."_

Face glared hard at her, his green eyes darkening.  "So you thought that lying and covering it up would be any better?"

"Yes, in fact we did. You already have proven that you get so damn protective of your wife and if we had told you, you wouldn't have let her go.  For your information, Tyria volunteered to go but Adra shot her down since Tyria's already been tortured by Daala," Nicola spat in response, resisting the urge to punch him.

It didn't appear to her that Face recognized her internal struggle, though if he had, he probably wouldn't have cared at this point.  Instead, the pilot merely sighed and glanced out the window to the view of Coruscant's cityscape beyond.  Waiting for him to come up with a reply, Nicola sat herself down on the end of the couch, her gaze never leaving his face.  At last the pilot sighed.

"Alright, fine," he said, admitting defeat.  "You win.  So now could we please find a way to get her out of there?  It was you, after all, who got her in.  And I highly doubt Cloud is going to be up and fine about this Cloud City arrangement, especially if it involves Daala nabbing Tyria again."

She raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to make his point, though she almost knew what he was going to be asking next.  And, of course, she also knew the answer.  Adra, Tyria, and she had worked this out already, knowing full-well that anything that they didn't plan for probably would go wrong.  And that included the possibility of Face's finding out and demanding they do something stupid- go figure.  And their plans had worked perfectly, minus their forgetting about the ysalamiri, but then again, nobody was perfect.  Nicola looked back at Face to see him staring at her.  One side of her mouth twisted up into a feral smile.

"There's already a plan for this, Face.  It's just a matter of making it move."


	3. The Gorgon

**Chapter Three – The _Gorgon_**

A splitting headache was what woke her from her not-quite restful sleep.  Of course, just about anything could wake her these days.  Like dreaming of what Face would say if he found out she hadn't been 100% truthful with him about the twins...or about this really being a mission, not a capture.  With a sigh, she worked out the kinks in her neck, not really believing it would do anything to aid the removal of her headache.

Her suspicions had been correct, in that.  Across the room, she saw a durasteel cage.  _Wonderful,_ she thought dryly.  _Ysalamiri.__  My favorite.  With a grimace, she straightened against the wall, noting she was not actually attached to it in any way.  Well, at least they didn't think she'd be that hard to contain.  Their mistake meant their lives._

As a yawn escaped past her lips, a sharp pain seared across the underside of her jaw.  Grimacing, she turned her head to touch the point to her shoulder.  After a second, she removed her chin and looked at the material, only to find it red with blood.  Kriffing wonderful, really.  Her expression darkening still further, she suddenly remembered her lightsaber.  Her hands were totally useless to aid in the search for it as they were 'politely' stuncuffed behind her.  Using her right foot, she tapped around the calf of her boot, frowning annoyedly as it hit nothing other than her boot itself.

Before she could so much as utter a curse, the lighting in the room blared to a much higher setting, momentarily blinding her, just as the door released.  As her vision readjusted once more, she was met with the smirking face of Admiral Daala, two stormtrooper guards with her.  Her headache seemed to redouble upon itself, making it seem to her as if she had been hit full on by a crashing TIE fighter.

Abruptly, two hands grabbed her arms, 'helping' her to her feet and out the door.  Dimly, Adra was pleased to note that there were no ysalamiri on either Daala or the stormtroopers.  She only hoped there wouldn't be wherever she was going.  Using the time she had in connection with the web of life to connect with her unborn children, she quickly soothed their ruffled nerves, assuring and explaining to them as best she could.

Not having paid any attention to where they were going, Adra blinked, a bit surprised, as she realized they were in front of her new door.  Daala was dutifully punching in the access code, but even before she had completed the process, Adra knew who was inside that room.  Gut wrenching, she allowed herself a low grumble as she was pushed into the room.

Across from the doorway, staring into the viewport and space beyond, stood an all too familiar person, his back to the door.  And then, off to the right, standing by a viewscreen, were two more very, very familiar figures.  The stormtroopers stopped Adra from taking another step into the room, though she wouldn't have even wanted to.  Being in the same vicinity of two Sith Lords was worse than being surrounded by ysalamiri.  To top it off, having your 'favorite' Imperial General there, the same Imperial General who amusedly passed judgment on first your friend and then unwittingly you, as well was a bit much.  Besides, in his opinion, she "deserved what she got, for hacking into the Admiral's files."

Her disgust at the prospect of seeing her 'father', along with spending 'quality time' with Jori Daragon and Darth Maul must've shown on her face because when Admiral Daala looked at her, she laughed softly.  The Imperial Admiral walked a few paces forward, seeming to forget that Adra could use the Force.  She smirked slightly, a hard steel behind her eyes.

"I suppose we'll rethink our ideas next time we want to hack into my files, won't we?" she spoke with a voice that suggested she were speaking to a three year old, or someone who couldn't speak Basic.

No longer to keep her desire to murder the woman under control, Adra reached out to the Force, using it to place something like invisible hands around Daala's neck.  The Admiral's eyes remained locked on Adra's, though she could see the pupils begin to dilate from lack of oxygen.

A feral smile evolved on Adra's face abruptly as Daala's eyes became unfocused...only to have it wiped off her face again as a sudden searing pain began to move over the right side of her neck.  Abruptly losing concentration on the Admiral as the burning sensation that continued from behind her ear down towards her esophagus, she wrenched herself free from the stormtroopers' grips and away from the blood red lightsaber.  Of the two stormtroopers, one managed to regain a hold on her arm even as she matched glares with the Sith Mother.

The woman had a feral smirk of her own firmly bolted in place.  Immediately, Adra stiffened, recognizing what the woman was doing in the Force.  Cringing in spite of herself, she focused on counteracting what the Sith was trying to do, all the while working on using the Force to pry the double ended lightsaber from the Sith Lord's grip.

At the same time another hand gripped her, the lightsaber flew from Jori's grip.  It turned off as it passed over her own head, then one end flicked back on to sever the stuncuffs down the center.  Hands now somewhat free, Adra grabbed the lightsaber from the air and used the Force to flip backwards, out of both stormtroopers' reach, both ends of the lightsaber now ignited.

By now, the General at the viewport had turned around to see the happenings behind him.  Adra saw his gaze lock on her movements, but didn't have time to comprehend much else.

At this point, Darth Maul had sent Jori another lightsaber via the Force, and also ignited his own.  The two stormtroopers who had been so kind to 'escort' her to the room were now lying dead on the floor.  The Imperial Admiral and General were both standing near the viewport, arms crossed over their chests, watching the scene.

Seconds later, Jori's new lightsaber hissed down with a crash against the end of Adra's that was occupied with blocking.  Darth Maul had moved in next to Jori, his own lightsaber seeming to be eager with anticipation for attack.  Grumbling to herself that she should never agree to suicide missions again, Adra watched both Sith Lords with baited breath.

Maul was the first to make a move.  He brought his lightsaber in to attack her, moving the blood red blade in an arch.  While Adra blocked off his attack, Jori's lightsaber flicked off.  Her attention reverted once more by the sudden disappearance of it, she didn't realize she'd left her entire left side open to attack from Jori's counterpart.

In Jori's place stood a tusk-cat, it's fur rippling as the muscles underneath the tight hide shivered.  Adra raised the blade to swipe at Jori in her new form, cursing herself for forgetting the Sith Mother was a changeling.  She cursed herself again as a sharp jolt drove through her left shoulder blade.

Whether being stabbed in the back by Darth Maul was worth cutting off the tusk-cat's lower front right leg, she couldn't tell because at the same moment she did so, the lightsaber began moving across her back, still slightly embedded.

Resisting the urge to scream at the kriffing Sith Lord, Adra swung her lightsaber around her side and towards whatever stood behind her.  The pain in her back immediately stopped recreating itself, only leaving the burn from what it had already done.  Disconnecting the lightsaber into two, she silently thanked Master Windu for showing her how to use two lightsabers.

One blade in either hand, Adra whipped one around to form a frontline of attacks against Maul, the other doing its duty to keep a one and a half armed Jori Daragon at bay.  The Sith Mother had returned to human form following the cut limb, refusing to be a maimed tusk-cat.

Adra opened herself to the Force once more, mentally smiling at the protected forms of her unborn twins, and then allowing it to dictate her defenses.  A warning prickle told her to leave Jori alone for half a second to deflect the stun bolt sent at the side of her head, which she blocked, and then told her to cut from the left at Maul.

The Sith Lord let loose a howl of disguised pain as the lightsaber sliced through his left hip, causing him to drop his lightsaber and curl in a curled position on the durasteel floor, hissing as he struggled to collect the Force and bend it to healing and removing the stinging pain.  _Payback,_ Adra thought dimly to herself.

A sudden word from General Tallon stopped Jori from driving an attack to Adra's head.  Begrudgingly, she thanked the man for his putting a halt to it; however, she continued to keep one eye on Jori, the other on Daala.

The Admiral returned the glare, something odd flickering behind her eyes.  General Tallon looked between Adra herself and the Sith Mother, his gaze hard and calculating.  Adra remembered it all too well from her days at the Imperial Academy when he had come for an inspection visit.

As suddenly as Jori had stopped her attack, a stormtrooper stepped forward and jerked the lightsabers from Adra's hands.  Adra didn't even notice as her hands were stuncuffed behind her back once more, foregoing her use of them.  Her eyes remained in constant contact with Daala's until the Admiral jerked her gaze down every so slightly.

"Come now, Tallon.  Surely, you know that using the Force to kill someone is the mark of a Dark Jedi.  I'm equally as certain you wouldn't want to become one of those...especially since your husband and children would be so heartbroken," Daala sneered at her as she walked closer.  "Oh wait, did I say 'Tallon'?  Excuse the error.  That was quite a show you just put on for us, Loran.  I hope you don't mind that we're not going to give you time to use that precious Force of yours to heal the burns."

A hand turned her around and shoved her forward, the palm that commanded the movement resting right across where Darth Maul's lightsaber had cut.  With a curse, she heard Daala order they set the _Gorgon_'s course for Cloud City.


	4. Operation Cloud City

**Chapter Four – ****Operation********Cloud********City******

Nicola sat, staring into the blankness that represented the darkened walls of Wraith headquarters, was suddenly shaken from her not-quite-thoughts as she realized what she'd sensed.  Internally startled, she quickly looked over to where her children and the two Loran girls were playing on the floor.  Her three and a half year old twins and Inyri, their near-triplet, were sitting around Ciny, letting her play with some of their Uncle's explosives.  The quieter Koyi and Tynian were sitting happily outside the group around Ciny, Koyi with a datapad in hand, Ty fiddling with his father's lightsaber.  Making a mental note to ask Bror about why he would let a one and a half year old play with a lightsaber, Nicola used the Force to call it to her.

Just as the lightsaber touched her outstretched hand and her fingers closed around it, a sudden flare in the Force caught her attention.  This time it wasn't quite a quiet, "I'm here" feeling.  No, this one was more like a hiss of pain.  Ignoring her son's protests about having the lightsaber taken, Nicola honed in on the presence- Adra's presence- to try and find out what was going wrong.

She hardly needed to have wondered.  Around her friend's Force-self, she found the figureheads of Sith Lords Jori Daragon and Darth Maul...and Admiral Daala.  Nearer the Admiral's presence was that of an unfamiliar source.  Not wasting time on the fifth being, Nicola turned her attention sharply back to her friend's, searching for what was so wrong.

The Dark side-funded energy was found pressing against Adra's throat.  Lightsabers, Jori Daragon's to be exact.  Struggling to keep herself from reaching over the distances to kill the Sith Lord, she withdrew herself until she was more like a shimmering spectator to the situation, though she was still sharing Adra's senses.

She was obviously in a room on the _Gorgon_, and obviously a room without blasted ysalamiri.  As Nicola continued her exploration of Adra's surroundings, she became dimly aware, once more, of the sensation of having a lightsaber tip imbedded an inch into your back and being dragged along it.  Blinking at the sudden nerve overload that seemed to be coursing through her, she was surprised not to hear a yell of anguish in the Force.  Still, before Nicola withdrew, she had the pleasure of seeing Jori Daragon, Sith Mother, holding a severed arm to her chest as she waited for it to stop stinging to much to focus.

Across the room, Nicola saw Inyri's eyes locked on her own, even though she wasn't exactly staring at the girl per say to look at her.  She had just happened to be looking that direction when she'd come in full contact with Adra.  Abruptly, Nicola realized that wasn't why Inyri Loran was looking at her.  Meli and Lis both looked up at the same time, both obviously saying the same things to their friend.  Inyri shook her head and crossed behind her younger sister, hand trailing along the edge of the couch.

The girl approached, her bright blue eyes searching and trusting, yet her expression drawn in a serious line.  While Inyri was a very good actor, having inherited her father's genes in that respect, her youth added with that acting ability gave her expressions little to be debated over.  And right now, it was painfully clear she knew what was going on...and no three and a half year old child should know the full extent of the truth, something Inyri did know.

Inyri was standing in front of her a moment later, her eyes still locked on Nicola's.  Taking a prolonged moment to blink and clear her thoughts behind the blank covering, she let out an almost inaudible sigh.  She should've begged Iella to tell Adra she couldn't go.  Should've begged Wedge to post pone the mission, even though the information was vital.  She, Nicola Afyon, should've gone into Targeter mode if she'd had to if it meant keeping her friend safe in the long run.

The only problem with that way of thinking was that, in the long run, everyone's lives, including all the children inside Wraith Squadron headquarters and its boundaries, would be safer if Adra could just get the information from the _Gorgon_.  And, between Adra and Tyria, Nicola couldn't have said who she would've wanted to go least.

A hand pulling on her sleeve pulled her from her thoughts, only to bring her startlingly quickly into the present line of things.  Inyri was standing in front of her, Liselle coming up slowly behind her friend.  Sighing, Nicola picked up her best friend's daughter and set her in her lap.

"What's wrong, Inyri?" she asked the girl, even though she had no doubt as to the answer.

Inyri looked at her, her eyes still broadcasting the amount of trust she held in her hold-mother.  Her voice quiet, Nicola nonetheless heard what the girl said.  "Mommy was in my head again."

Without having to even look away from her hold-daughter's face, Nicola knew that she wasn't the only one to hear what was said.  Halfway across the room, she felt Face's presence spark a sudden interest in what his daughter was doing and saying.  Next to him, Iella and Winter were portraying the same interest, if not muted better, in the Force.

Nicola sighed, nodding to Inyri.  _Yes, Mommy was in the Force again.  This time she kept her speech to being whispered in the Force, knowing Inyri was intelligent and well focused enough to know, first, to reply with the same method and, second, how to._

_She home?_  The small voice, with all its innocence, sounded eager and hopeful.  That in itself was enough to make Nicola wish they could've never come up with this whole mission.

_No,_ she said slowly, carefully, _No, Mommy's not home yet.  She may not be home for a while.  Daddy and Uncle Bror and Aunt Nicola and everyone else may have to go and get Mommy._  Well, it was partially true, after all.  They were going to go and retrieve Adra from the wonderful clutches of the Imperials, only they weren't going to be waiting a long time.  If she were with them too long, Force only knew what Daala might do.

Half the Jedi of Wraith Squadron, and Nicola was one of them, didn't believe Ysanne Isard had died those few years ago.  Fortunately, Iella and Winter, at least, agreed with them.  However, the fact that Iceheart was the head of Imperial Intelligence and knew the most wonderful torture methods in the known galaxy, it wouldn't do to leave them with a five-month pregnant woman.  No, all plans had consisted of giving Adra three weeks at the max; after that, she knew she was supposed to abort mission.  The Wraiths weren't going to stand in line to wait out an extra few days, especially not if Face had anything to say about it.

Nicola hadn't even noticed that Inyri had nodded and gotten down from her lap.  She only knew that a sudden voice was carrying a question to her.  A voice she had learned long ago not to talk back to.

"Nicola, come over here for a minute, would you?" Iella Wessiri Antilles called over to her.  While phrased as a question, Nicola knew there was no option involved in the words.  So instead of even trying to come up with an excuse to get out of it, she got up and walked over to where Face, Winter and Iella sat and pulled out a fourth chair.

As soon as she was settled, the other three had their attention locked on her.  Inside, she was sighing heavily.  On the outside, she appeared the usual calm that she always portrayed.  Silence ruled for a moment, then Nicola asked, "What?" in a slightly low-key tone.

Face shifted in his seat, glaring hard at her, while Iella and Winter exchanged a glance.

"Look," Iella said at last, "Inyri said something about Adra, and you agreed with her.  What happened?  What do you feel from the Force?"

The question coming form the head of New Republic Intelligence, it was hardly something Nicola could skate around.  Perhaps if she'd just come from Daala's service again, maybe she could've gotten away with acting politely confused.  However, with Gaeriel and Asyr in the room to contradict her, should they be asked, she didn't bother.

She cast a single, glaring look at Face, telling him that if he jumped up and did anything rash she'd murder him, she looked back at the rest of the group.  Heaving a silent sigh, Nicola nodded.  "Yes, Adra was just in the Force.  She was actually in the Force for more than ten minutes.  From what I've managed to get from what she shared with me, our favorite Admiral still has her on the _Gorgon, which will be heading for Cloud City soon by the way, but Daala's also scrounged Jori Daragon and Darth Maul onto the ship.  There was some other person there, only I didn't really recognize him.  He was about 5'11", 6 foot maybe, and had dark brown hair that was getting a bit of gray in parts..."_

Nicola broke off as Face looked sharply away from a non-existent burn on the table, his emerald green eyes locking on Nicola's silver ones.  "Did you just say 6 foot, brown-haired man?"  Nicola nodded, her expression skeptical.  Face blinked at her then, seemingly worried to know if he really wanted to continue, asked, "What rank was he?  Was he a general?"

Her mind rolled about through what she'd seen through Adra's eyes, using the Force to enhance her short-term memory.  At last, she nodded.  "Yeah, General Something-or-other.  I couldn't read the name.  Sorry.  I didn't get enough of a view of it."

As soon as she stopped speaking, Face cursed.  Nicola raised a quick eyebrow at him, leaning back in her chair.  "Friend of yours, Loran?"

Face, who had again been staring at a point on the table, looked up abruptly, a look of disgust on his face.  "No.  If he were merely a friend, I'd have shot the man.  He is, unfortunately, my father-in-law."

Iella, who'd just taken a sip of whatever was in her glass, spit it out suddenly, patting her chest quickly to rid it of the liquid that had remained between stomach and mouth.  After a moment of coughing, the woman looked sharply at Face.  "Did you just say 'father-in-law'?"

He looked over at her, a dry yet determined expression plastered on.  "What else would I have said, Iella?  Yes, I said father-in-law.  That bastard, otherwise known as Imperial General Tallon, is my wife's father.  And about now, I really wish that her 'for fun' detonator had blown her parents up and not just their house."

Winter and Iella stared at Face for a few more seconds, then looked down at their hands, before their gazes both returned to Nicola's face.  After another moment of tense silence, Winter's soft voice broke the air.

"Nicola, would you continue?"

Nicola nodded, slowly tearing her gaze from Face's clouded expression.  "Yes, of course.  Oh, right.  Adra," she smiled slightly at the thought, "Adra, well, she got a bit upset with Daala and started to strangle the bitch with the Force...only Jori stuck her lightsaber into her throat.  So, naturally, Adra got hold of Jori's lightsaber, Maul tossed his master half of his, and Adra had a fun fencing début with our favorite Sith Lords.  Jori turned into a tusk-cat, being a Clawdite and all, a few attacks later, and Adra cut part of her arm- or leg, whatever- off.  So Jori's gotta get a mechanical hand.  Other than that," Nicola cast a wary gaze at Face, hoping she wouldn't regret telling them all this with him present.  "Well, Maul gave Adra a 'healthy' lightsaber burn in her back and I don't think she's going to get a chance to use the Force to heal it.  My guess is she was returned to a ysalamiri-guarded cell, as she's gone from the Force again."

There was silence for a moment, in which time Face's hands could be seen curling into fists as he tried to contain the amount of emotion running through him.  Nicola looked down at her caf mug and it's almost non-existent contents.  Iella and Winter were silent, seemingly absorbing the information they'd heard.

Across the table from her, Face suddenly shoved his chair back from the table.  Nicola blinked, not having expected him to take it that badly.  He walked over to the explosive experts' table and promptly grabbed Kell's bag of explosives.  The demolitions expert looked up, apparently ready to yell at whoever had taken them, only to shut his mouth as he saw Face's expression.  The bag was slung over his shoulder and he walked purposefully out the door and, no doubt, down to the demolitions range.

"Well," Iella said as soon as he was gone.  "I guess that means we're cutting this mission short.  Send the Wraith kids over to Twin Suns, Intel and everyone over there will watch them.  Nicola, since I'm assuming you're going to be more rational than Face is on this mission, you're in charge of it.  I know you and Tyria already worked out a plan.  Have everyone still here ready to rendezvous at Cloud City in a standard week.  We're meeting Daala there anyway, since Wedge has kept up the illusion he might be willing to trade the place for his slicer back."  She inhaled deeply, seeming to gather her thoughts once more.  "There isn't much I can say to you, only that I'll give you all court martials if you get yourselves caught.  You're not going to have much time once we actually get to talking with Daala.  Two, three hours tops.  And tell Science Boy he needs to stop goofing off and actually come up with something that makes a bigger explosion than a grenade."

Nicola nodded, glancing at Kell, Cloud and Ryok.  Then she looked back at Winter and Iella and saluted.  "I understand, Iella.  We'll be ready to go soon enough.  I'll see about moving the Wraith kids to Twin Suns later today."

Both women nodded in return, Winter setting towards the door.  Iella followed her a few steps, then looked over her shoulder at Nicola.  "Good luck, Nicola.  If this goes wrong, we're roasted tauntaun."  And with that, she exited, leaving Nicola to find Tyria Ritril and get Operation Cloud City under way.


	5. Five Days

**Chapter Five – Five Days**

Jori Daragon hissed angrily as she readjusted the new limb once again, not happy at all about having to deal with a mechanical add-on.  While it hindered her none in changing form, the human form would always be an agitated form at best, thanks to that kriffing Loran brat.  Damn pregnant women.  Another swing, another thrust; her lightsaber finally came swiveling down, all the while a motion blur, to cut the practice droid straight down the middle.

Before she could offer snide remark to the dead thing, a thought crossed her.  Damn pregnant women, eh?  Well, she had obviously been one once, horror of horrors.  But that didn't mean anything; she wasn't talking about herself, now was she?  No, she was talking about pretty boy Loran's wife, the infamous computer hacker of the New Republic.  One of the Wraith's own, to be specific.  Unwittingly, a smile began to seep across her face.

Abruptly, the blood red lightsaber ends were closed down.  The hilt of the weapon returned to its spot on her utility belt even as she walked towards the door.  Five days until they reached Cloud City.  And it was going to be an interesting five days, especially for Adra Loran.

* * * * *

The lounge was hardly lit, even this early in the evening.  Face was off with Inyri and Ciny, Bror and Cloud were watching her own children and, yes, here she, Nicola, was in the lounge, staring at the flimsi in front of her.  The flimsi that held various notes that nobody wanted on a datacard merely because it might get lost.

Or look suspicious.  Or other.  Besides, flimsi could be hidden easily.

But that wasn't quite the point anyway.  Nicola lowered her pen to the flimsi once more, adding something to it from the lower level map of Cloud City.  A second later, her pen fell from her grip, Nicola's eyes staring blankly ahead.  The Force had opened up again, in some pocket of an in-between hyperspace jump.

She reached out with the Force, grasping around the darkness to locate the source of the opening.  There was a pocket of no-Force space moving away from the reborn sector of Force attachment.  As suddenly as if she'd been hit in the face by an oncoming Star Destroyer, Nicola felt a burst of pure agony melt through the link that she'd unconsciously established with her friend.

As abruptly as she'd made the connection, she suddenly was severed.  As she returned to her body's place in the universe, Nicola felt her chest rising and falling in a far more rapid pace, as though she'd just run a complete circumnavigation of Coruscant.  Her palms were both flat down on the table in front of her, her gaze still blankly ahead.  She reached out with the Force again, able to see everything in the Force, including the swerved outline of a presence that could only be Jori Daragon.

However, when she tried to reach out to find out what was going on in completion, she found herself blocked.  It was only then she realized that Gaeriel's hand was on her shoulder.

Nicola looked up quickly, giving the politician a dark look.  Gaeriel just shook her head.  "You can't do that, Nicola.  We need you to be able to coordinate this mission.  If you go off trying to connect with Adra you'll get the same issue beating she's getting."

Though she knew the other Jedi was talking truth, Nicola merely glared down at the page in front of her.  Before she knew what she was doing, Nicola was suddenly on her face, the flimsi she'd been working on crumpling between her hands as she rolled it into a ball.  She angrily tossed it to the table before looking at Gaeriel, wishing for something far more satisfying to crumple up.

"Yeah, well, that's nice.  When it's your best friend, you can tell me that.  Otherwise, forget it."

That much being said, Nicola stormed out of the lounge, still very clearly under Gaeriel's Force block.  Why?  Why would Gaeriel care if she tried to help her friend?  Other than that Gaeriel studied with Mace Windu and would probably be the one to have a level head-  Quickly Nicola stopped herself from thinking that way; she didn't care.

Finally breaking past the other Jedi's hold, she reached out for Adra's Force presence again, latching onto it.  There was no 'thanks', no reply of any kind, none at all other than pain.  Gritting her teeth against it, Nicola kept walking, albeit slowly, towards the door that she knew would open into her and Bror's quarters.

As soon as the door opened, she saw Bror and Cloud trying to keep her own children and Ciny from watching Inyri.  The older Loran child was wrapped in her father's hug, her face in a pillow, obviously screaming into it.  Nicola only knew she was screaming because of the scream coming through the Force.  There was no sound emitting from the pillow, due to the fact that Inyri seemed to have lost her voice.

Still attached to Adra on some sense, Nicola looked up at Face's expression to see him looking at her with pleading eyes, obviously unsure as to how to do anything to his Force-pained daughter.  As quickly as she could, Nicola extricated her hold daughter from her father's arms, holding her tightly in a hug.

Somewhat guiltily, she performed the same deed Gaeriel had just carried out on her, severing Inyri's presence from her mother's.  Even if Adra tried not to allow Inyri a hold, she was sure that the girl was powerful enough in the Force to go against that wish if she wanted to.  If it had been Nicola, she probably would have to.

At long last, Inyri stifled her Force-made noise, her face silently buried in Nicola's shoulders.  Gradually, Nicola felt wet cloth begin to collect on her shoulder, no doubt moistened by Inyri's tears.  Her arms clutches around Nicola's neck, as one of her own children might do.  She smiled sadly, once again wishing the undercover operation hadn't gone through.

Nicola sat down on the couch across from Face, rubbing a hand up and down Inyri's back.  She looked up to see her best friend's husband looking at his oldest, and most similar child.  Silently she nodded her head to Inyri's form, causing Face to stand up silently.  Inyri changed arms once more, though didn't appear to have any problem with the transition.  She merely buried her face in her father's jacket, ignoring everything else.

As she stood up again, Nicola could hear Face whispering words to his daughter, but she didn't try to hear them.  Instead, Nicola walked over to where Lis and Meli were sitting, separated from the other three.  The two of them had their gazes fixed intently on their not-quite triplet.  Nicola got the strange impression that, just as she had been sharing in Adra's pain, her oldest children were trying to make their friend feel better.  She had to wonder if they'd felt what Inyri had, but didn't ask.

Instead, Nicola just hugged both of them, picking each up and settling one on either hip.  Bror was holding Ciny as she shifted, obviously trying to sleep, but no doubt getting something unintentionally from her sister.  Koyi and Tynian didn't look anything more than confused, young as they were.

Finally, Bror looked over at Nicola.  _What the kriff are they doing to her?_  Nicola just shook her head, unable to answer that.  And in truth?  She didn't want to know.


	6. Imperial Files Galore

**Chapter Six – Imperial Files Galore**

The Wraith kids watched quietly as their respective parents left the room, the younger ones happily content to do nothing but tussle over toys.  Meli seemed to be immediately drawn to the three-years-younger Keira Fel, the Goddess in miniature.  Of course, none of them thought like that.  Next to Meli sat Liselle, Keira on the other side, and then Inyri was on Lis's free side.  While Keira was little older than seven moths old, she was perfectly happy being quiet while listening to Meli, Lis and Inyri's "highly important, top security NRI-type thingy"...in other words, their 'plan of attack'.

"Are you sure we've gotta stay here like the good little mom and dad miniatures we are?" Inyri asked, expression all child seriousness.

A few feet away, Rane and Davin were seen glancing at each other silently, then the two of them quickly stood and exited the room, obviously not wanting 'in' on the operation.

Meli, however, grinned.  "Whoever said mom and dad were 'good'?"

With a sniggering grin, Lis nodded in agreement, then frowned at the sight of Calik Celchu, nearly seven and a half, entering the room.  Her eyes track the suspicious 'older kid' as he skirted their rather large group and grabbed a stack of datacards on a table.  Minutes later, he was gone.  It wasn't like she had anything _against_ Calik, it was just that he seemed very... strange.  Like he saw things nobody else did.  However, Lis didn't really bother doting on that.  She'd just take her Aunt Tyria's advice on never saying or doing anything in front of Calik that she didn't want remembered to come back and haunt her.

Whatever it was, there was certainly something odd about Calik Celchu, and as one of her personal 'goals', Lis meant to find out what exactly that 'something' was.

* * * * *

The _Victory_-class Star Destroyer _Drive__ Force_ was already in place in Coruscant's orbit.  All it needed was its task force.  On the planet itself, Iella Wessiri Antilles was watching the white triangle hanging in the orbit of the night-side of the planet.  There was no doubt in her mind that she'd see it again.  She would be on it, after all.

That didn't stop her from wondering to the sense behind Wedge's supposed plan.  Sure, Cloud City was in New Republic hands.  Sure Lobot practically ran the place.  But that didn't mean opening negotiations at the spot was intelligent when it involved open invitations to the complete crew of the _Gorgon_.  Not to mention that now they knew that that crew consisted of two Sith lords, Ysanne Isard, Admiral Daala and a certain relative of Face Loran that wasn't exactly loved.

A sigh escaped her as she picked her datapad up off the desk, putting it in her pocket.  Winter was prepared to go so far as bringing Calik with her but had thankfully been talked into leaving him at the Twin Suns.  Originally Iella had dared to dream that bringing more than herself and the Rogues plus a few diplomats would be enough.  The fact that Tyria Ritril was now finding Imperial higher-up's with near-impossible hack accounts along with intercepted comm chatter had squashed her hope.  The _Gorgon_ was now not scheduled to arrive at Cloud City within the next few days, as planned.  The vessel would be taking an extra seven days.

And that was what troubled Iella.

What could've gone on that changed the timeframe?  The immediate thoughts, upon hearing the news, was that perhaps Daala wanted a broken NR agent before reaching Cloud City and had been, up to now, unsuccessful.  The next day Tyria had stumbled across the new demands on the files.  It didn't take a genius to figure out that it only meant on thing.  What was worse was that Adra knew exactly what Tyria's trails and slicing habits consisted of.  Which, in turn, meant that if the Imps had gotten her on their side...  Well, if that was the case, then the New Republic was in serious hot water _and_ Imperial Intelligence had just gotten a sithload smarter.

* * * * *

The 'request':  NRI master files

The order issued by:  Admiral Daala, Imperial Intelligence head Ysanne Isard

Her answer?  Drag me to Corellia's hells and back first.

A rather-deaf Adra sat in front of a computer console, her gray detention uniform certainly not as crisp as it had been when it had been issued to her.  In the course of over a week and a half, Adra had managed to make Daala _and_ Isard think she'd been 'broken' by their tortures.  She wasn't about to risk her children's lives by forcing the two Imperials to use injections in more liberal amounts than they already were.  Nor was she willing to risk electrical currents getting a crash course on ravaging her limbs.  The illusions and not-quite phantom pain Jori had subject her to, on top of the Imperials' work, had left her mind screaming protests in a rather convincing way.  For record's sake, it was the illusion of Coruscant burning, and her friends all in Daala's interrogation hold being tortured that had gotten her.  Added to that was the 'wonderful' frequencies she'd been subjected to.  The pitches had been toyed with, all the while echoing around the plain room.  Neither the Force nor hands plastered over her ears had stopped the sounds or gotten rid of the horrible pain.

One week later, here she was.  After her 'fun with frequencies', Adra had found blood beginning to make its way down either side of her neck, the source undoubtedly her eardrums.  At first sounds had been an absolute nightmare to deal with.  However, Daala and Isard had both been dually convinced at that point that she was 'seeing the light' of the Imperial sides of things.  Stars, she was even allowed to use the closest 'fresher whenever it was needed for vomiting and the likes.

The ysalamir which had dutifully guarded her hold had been removed, Jori's Force filter in its place, yet it was still an improvement.  Now she was updating Imperial files under the not-quite watchful eye of a 'sleepy' guardsman.  The datapad she'd stolen now carried every tidbit of information she'd been ordered to put codes over.  The problem was that she currently had an offensive order.

There was no way in any hell that she was slicing Intel's files.  No way.

Unfortunately, the options weren't too great.  She could pretend that she didn't hear enough of the orders to follow them up, but that 'error' would be solved rather quickly by merely transmitting orders directly onto the computer screen.  And it wasn't quite like she'd be able to say she couldn't do it... unless...

Hope sprang up in her mind with arms flailing at the thought.  Winter had requested, a while back, that there be a 'backup' database.  Something with fake records.  Tyria and she had started on that idea as soon as time had allowed... only they'd been sidetracked.  Well, she just had to hope Tyria had finished it.  One hand unconsciously rubbed her lower back while the other began tapping away on the keys.  Seconds later, she'd found precisely what she was looking for.

Adra touched the guard's mind again, using the Force to lull him into a deeper sleep.  IT wasn't a hard task, after all.  A supple mind was definitely one of the things Daala wanted on security individuals.  Following her fingers, Adra watched with a slight bit of pleasure as Intel's files opened easily, letting her know exactly what she wanted to know.  Pulling 'her' datapad out, she hurriedly transferred its data to the computer.  A few codes later, Iella's computer had a rather large file waiting for her.

As soon as she was done with the transfer, the slicer got out of the program as fast as she had entered it.  She just had to hope her signature icon had made it through with the message.  Before she really thought that thread out, she'd found the fake files that had been set up.  It was hardly a challenge to 'hack' into those files, considering.

* * * * *

The screen readily flashed with the message of a large file transfer, and appeared to have been blinking for quite some time.  The official briefing had just drawn to a close and here she was, getting a data transfer.  At first she decided to ignore it.  However, there was a very simple image that changed her mind.  It was a computer and a lightsaber.

Before she'd really had time to think, she was heading towards the conference room.  Thankfully the Wraiths were still in the room, some of them looking a bit more forlorn tan others.  However, everyone glanced up as she entered.

"I need to see Tyria Ritril and Nicola," she stated.  Then, as an afterhoguht, added, "Oh, and Face might find this interesting too."

The three requested Wraiths followed as ordered to Intel's computer room.  The screen was still flashing on the computer Iella commonly called her own.  She gestured to the icon still flashing opposite the message and immediately got the reaction she knew she would from the three.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa.  How'd she get in contact with a computer?" Tyria questioned.  It was a valid question, considering.

Face didn't appear so ready to question that aspect of the message's tracings.  "What did Adra have to say then?"

"She didn't open it, Loran," Nicola said dully.

Iella heard what she thought was an 'Oh' from the former actor, but ignored it.  "I wanted Tyria to see about it, considering she'd be best at tracing a fake.  And if it's not a fake, then I'm hoping it's a large chunk of information on the Imps.  That being said, Nicola, you might be able to update your infiltration plan if this is what I hope it is."

The two women nodded in understanding, Tyria taking the chair.  Face was staring at the icon fixedly, as though trying to see something that wasn't actually there.  Nicola noticed this as well and shook her head slightly.  She raised a hand and waved it up and down in front of his face.

"Poster Boy," Nicola continued waving her hand.  "You okay?"

Conversation halted abruptly as Tyria gasped quietly.  Iella glanced over Tyria's shoulder and felt her jaw drop.  The screen was scrolling down faster than the eye could properly comprehend as more and more file charts poured from the transfer.  Well then, the data certainly didn't need trace work.  At the bottom, a small text message filtered onto the screen.

            _Iella-_

_            Imps have new code coverings.  Here's the data from_

_            every file I worked on.  Until __Cloud__City__.___

_            -A. Loran_

"Why did I know it was her?" Tyria nearly laughed out the words, obviously talking about the new code coverings the Imps had.  The hacker shook her head, then scrolled back up through the files, a wide grin on her face.  Nicola moved forward and Iella stepped aside so the other woman could look through everything with Tyria.

Face looked nothing but none-plussed by the message.  Iella, giddy by the new information, debated waving a hand in front of his face, as Nicola had earlier done.  The idea was stomped on when the pilot suddenly pulled out his datapad.

* * * * *

The tension he'd been feeling for weeks was suddenly and completely lifted.  Adra hadn't been brainwashed, his twins were still both alive, and she'd successfully convinced the Imperials that she'd deserted.  She didn't make a half-bad improve, if truth be told.  Now his only concern was getting Adra back to Coruscant and never letting her out of the squadron headquarters again.

But at this very moment, he was most anxious to get started on his squadron's mission to Cloud City.  Technically it was Nicola's mission to lead, but why sweat the details right now?  Face just wanted to get there as soon as possible.  But having a transmission from Adra was something to lift his hopes.

Face glanced down at his datapad once more, rereading Adra's message there.  He smiled to himself, forgetting he was in a room with three other people.  Nicola looked over at him, as Iella was also doing.  Tyria, completely engrossed, continued looking through the files.  The only Jedi present was the first to speak.

"Loran, what's up?"

He glanced at the three of them, a grin firmly in place.  With a shake of his head, Face replied, "Oh, nothing.  Just something Adra sent that I was pleased about.  Nothing like seeing Lieutenant Kettch running down the halls of anything."  He flashed his wide, trademark and patented grin.

"And that wouldn't be a thing to smile over, as we all know," Iella commented.

Feeling more free to joke and have fun then he had felt in a while, Face let his jaw drop in fake disbelief.  "But Kettch has been nothing but loyal to the New Republic-"

"Face," warned Iella.

"-in all his years of service!  I mean, honestly.  The little guy really deserves some respect-"

"Face..." now he had Nicola and Iella both daring him to continue.

"-as it's not like he did anything to you, after all," he finished, ignoring all three women's protests, as Tyria was now telling him to shut up.  "However, as I can see mere talk of Kettch isn't worthy of your time, I'm going to have tot alk to Janson and Ari over this."  He walked to the door and paused, an insanely boyish grin on his face.  "See everyone later!"

And with that, Face bounded out.

* * * * *

"And to think I said his holos were better than Tetran Cowell's," Nicola shook her head.  "If I'd known he would read as much into that as to go so far as bringing me into Wraith I would never have boosted his ego intentionally."

"Well, Nicola," Iella grinned, reading the computer screen over Tyria's head, "I _did_ try to warn you."

Instead of verbally replying, Nicola rolled her silver eyes, all but dismissing the comment.  The files available to her on the computer screen were becoming too good to pass up.  A stray file suddenly caught her wandering eye and she instantly raised a hand to pointat it.

"Open that one for a second," she said, even as Tyria did as much on her own whim.

The file opened, showing a new database with yet another list.  Only this time it showed names.  Most of them had an inactive status listed next to the date following the name.  And next to the word 'inactive' or 'active' was one of four words.  Nicola's eyes widened as Tyria scrolled down the list, but stopped on a name:  Aerolin Nexco.  Her file status was inactive, as were most, but the detailed status read 'turned'.

Abruptly, Nicoal's index finger hit the down arrow on the keyboard, sending the files whipping downward once more.  At last they came to the more recent entries.  Tyria Tainer was one of the names listed.  A dozen names down, yet another familiar name made the bottong of the list:  Adra Tallon Loran.  Her file was one of three that were listed active.  Detailed status read 'turned/in process'.  The room, once buzzing slightly with happiness, was now solemn and silent.  There only seemed to be two options on what to do, and that was either to go back to the main database or to find out what exactly had been going on aboard the _Gorgon_.

Unfortunately for her, Nicola didn't say 'backup' quick enough.  Iella was the one who spoke.  "Open that up, Tyria."  And so, with the decision made, Nicola sighed and resolved herself to see what was next.


	7. Playing With the Enemy

**Chapter Seven – Playing With the Enemy**

The information on the screen was of little value to the green-eyed admiral staring at it.  She was just watching another officer open the packet, her gaze shifting every so often to the formerly-Rebel Alliance slicer, quite happy with the way they'd gained this information.  The slicer in question was leaning on a wall next to the door, her hands rested on her stomach.

Admiral Daala, while not what many would call a 'compassionate' woman, had to give a slight smile inwardly.  She'd always detested little children; however, Imperial kids were far better than New Republic kids.  And the added weight of the most recent chain of events was definitely in her favor when it came to putting down bribes and threats.  Her attention shifted from the computer hacker back to the monitor, gaze now scanning the information as it came up.

* * * * *

Opposite her, standing near Daala, was the form of an easily distinguishable Sith mother.  Yet no matter how much she detested the woman, Adra could do nothing to show it.  She didn't want to appear to need more 'persuasion' to the Empire, now did she?

Instead, she merely unfocused her gaze, leaving it to rest unblinkingly on a groove in the wall between two of the durasteel sheets that covered the walls.  Admiral Daala, diagonal from both Jori and herself, was standing with her arms crossed, reading the information coming onto the screen.  Mentally, she smirked at that.  Sure, the admiral could believe she had the most current information all she wanted.  Adra just had to hope that she was systems away when the Imperial found out it was outdated by months.

The information seeming to satisfy both the Sith and the Imperial, Adra watched as the pair of them nodded to one another.  Admiral Daala then turned to her, a slight smile on her features.

"I have to say, Loran, I'm quite impressed," she gestured to the stormtroopers on either side of the room, before beginning to walk out the door.  Adra took her gesture to mean for her to walk with the admiral as well.  As much as she detested it, she followed the order.

"Thank you, Admiral," Adra replied, doing her best not to mutilate the words into hatred.

The pair continued walking, Adra in the gray detention uniform, Admiral Daala in the brilliant red.  "Of course, Loran.  Now, about this little jaunt we're taking to Cloud City.  You understand, of course, that for appearance sake it's necessary for you to remain in the detention center at that time.  Apart from that, we have different quarters already set up for you."  She glanced over at Adra, yet kept her pace going down the hall.

The Jedi pilot, ignoring the slight throb that was beginning in her left calf, nodded with a grim smile.  "Perfectly understandable, Admiral.  Rebel minds typically believe things at first impressions, so it makes complete sense."

Behind her, she sensed a severe sense of dislike pouring off the Sith mother.  Jori Daragon had already been ousted from her place next to Admiral Daala when traveling the kilometer-long corridors on the Star Destroyer.  Now she was also being ousted from the spot of "Admiral's Pet Force-User".  Somehow Adra got the impression that there would be no 'female bonding' going on between the two of them in the very near future.  Not that she would be open to the idea anyway.

"Ah, excellent," Daala was saying.  "Well, I'll leave you with the afternoon free then.  We should be arriving in Cloud City in six days, so don't worry about anything just yet.  Now I understand that you'd prefer to avoid General Tallon, however, would it be possible for you to put together a somewhat-formidable appearance at a dinner?"

It was very obvious at this point that Jori Daragon was seething.  Adra made a mental note to remember this for Mara's delight, if nothing more.  Another thing this conversation proved was that Admiral Daala at least had respect for moody pregnant women, though Adra was hardly at that stage of her lovely nine month stretch.  But because the woman had obviously never had children, she could use it to her advantage.  And Adra had every intention of doing just that.

"I'll see what I can do, Admiral, but I don't know if it would be possible.  'Fresher visits might interrupt the flow of the conversation," she said, the tone and look the perfect picture of sincerity.

Admiral Daala nodded, her eyes never leaving their mark at the end of the corridor.  "Perfectly acceptable, of course," she turned to look at Adra.  "Now if you'll excuse me, Loran, I need to see to some things on the bridge.  I'm sure you'll be able to find your way back to your quarters."

Adra nodded simply, ready to use the opportunity of 'getting lost', though she'd practically lived on Star Destroyers when she was really young, as an excuse to gather more information.  Like a layout map of the ship, for example.

* * * * *

Nicola went over the plan in her head yet another time, running over everything that could possibly go wrong, and things that were likely to be forgotten.  On board the Star Destroyer _Drive__ Force_, the eleven Wraiths all were gathered around in a pilot's lounge.  Face was chittering with Kell, Cloud and Ryok, not an uncommon sight.  No doubt he was talking off nerves, or whatever he wanted to call it.  Because, of course, Face _never_ got nervous, what with being an actor and all.

Next to Cloud was a solemn faced Tyria, her hand wrapped in her husbands', though there was no other show of nerves from the computer hacker.  Past her, Asyr and Gaeriel were sitting, saying nothing.  The former of the two appeared to be a bit more centered than usual, almost as if her mind was thinking over too many things at once.  Nicola just had to hope the pilot would have her mind cleared before it was time to do the real work.

Gaeriel, on the other hand, appeared to be trying to get Asyr to loosen up.  The politician Jedi would have no part whatsoever in making the moves on the _Gorgon_.  Instead, she would be present at negotiations with Daala and the Imperials, and also the vital Force link to the group on board the Star Destroyer.  If worst came to worst, Gaeriel would receive a Force-message telling her to stall the Imperials if the "negotiations" ended sooner than planned.

Bror, seated next to her, was silent.  As was usual, he was reading her datapad over her shoulder, merely going over the plan in his head again.  Tyria Tainer, seated next to her husband, was listening half-heartedly to the demolition experts' talk.  And, of course, ever-silent Jade was seated on a couch across the room, her gaze on her datapad.  This was definitely going to be an interesting venture, if nothing more.


	8. Cursed Cramps

**Chapter 8 – Cursed Cramps**

"I see we're at this point again, Admiral.  You've managed to pick up an agent, specifically a slicer.  And still, one might comment that either you're getting smarter, or the Rebels are.  I'd be inclined to believe it the latter, however...we've no proof they've gotten smarter at all.  Especially if Loran's work is accurate," Ysanne Isard scrolled through the NR Intel's database slowly, watching for any signs of 'planned' information.

Admiral Daala, carefully observing the Intelligence director bedecked in a red admiral's uniform, stood behind Isard, not commenting.  She would, no doubt be hearing yet again of how she'd let Tyria Tainer escape.

Yet amazingly, Isard merely nodded and stood from her chair.  The two women faced each other, before Daala nodded curtly.  She may not love Isard, but she still had to show respect, an unfortunate thing none the less.

Isard walked from the computer panel and towards the door, gesturing Daala get a move on and walk with her.  Daala complied evenly, falling into step with the Intelligence director as she walked towards her office.

"I want to know, Admiral, how you plan on holding Ms. Loran once we reach Cloud City.  Last time, with Tainer, there seems to have been some lapse in judgment of the Wraiths' abilities," Isard informed her.

_Yes,_ Daala thought, _I know it was a lapse in judgment.  But whose fault is that?_

But none of this was voiced, as Isard continued, "I'm sure it will not be happening again, considering there is not one, but three Force-sensitive lives to consider if our hacker girl is 'rescued' by our dear New Republic squadron."

"I assure you, Madam Director, Adra Loran will not be leaving this ship until well after we leave Cloud City," Daala broke in quickly, wishing to set at least some things to rights.  They were now halted outside Isard's office door, facing one another again, both bedecked in the red admiral's uniform.  "After Loran decided it would be wiser to submit to the rule of the Empire we had a discussion concerning this.  There should be nothing to worry about."

"There had better not be, Admiral.  The repercussions will not be pleasant if you are, again, underestimating your enemy in Wraith Squadron."  With that, Ysanne Isard turned on her heel and entered her waiting office.  The door automatically closed behind her, leaving Daala standing in the hallway.  She didn't move until she'd given a very rude look to the door, accompanied with a just-as-rude gesture.

* * * * *

Cloud City was hardly any different than Cloud remembered it to be.  Well, there was _one_ very important difference:  Tyria wasn't in Daala's clutches this time.  In fact, she was standing right next to him, looking around the sky city's limits.  And what made that whole experience better, it was that Cloud also knew where he stood in Tyria's estimation, he wasn't just some mechanic and explosive lover that she regarded as her brother's friend.  No, it was a far cry from that.

Behind him, Nicola and Gaeriel were exchanging ideas on some aspect of their little 'rescue' mission.  It probably had to do with stalling the Imperials, should need be.  Tyria's rescue had been, to say the least, not quite so simple.  They'd had the eleven of them on the kriffin' Star Destroyer, but had they bothered to have someone check up on inside information?  Of course not.  Then again, they had also not exactly had the resources to do so.

From what Cloud knew, Adra had sent every file that was on the Imperial Intelligence database to Iella.  Tyria and Nicola had downloaded a copy of it to their datapads, though nobody else had really been allowed to see it.  In that information was a semi-detailed overview of the _Gorgon_'s interior.  Apart from that, whatever power had been blocking the Force communication between Nicola and her friend was muted, if not entirely gone.

And, of course, no one but Face could ask Nicola to tell what Adra was saying and also receive a decent answer.  If it had been Tyria, Cloud wouldn't even have bothered waiting for Nicola's answer.  He would've used the Force himself.  But Face didn't have the Force, so he just had to sit and wait.

The odd thing about the connection, though, was that Nicola was the only Jedi of the Wraiths to establish a connection.  Jade hadn't been asked, though she probably could have set up a connection, but that was merely because everyone knew she wouldn't grace them with an answer.  That was Jade, after all.

* * * * *

The abrupt corners of the Star Destroyer's hallways didn't phase Adra as she wandered around, not enjoying a cramped quarters, no matter how nicely made up they were.  She had decided she wanted to do something other than fiddle with 'hacking' work.  If she had been back in Wraith, she could've simmed with Nicola...

A sudden idea crossed her mind, overpowering her idea on creating a mental map of the _Gorgon_'s distinct layout.  Sure, she had a rough copy.  Sure, Nicola would much rather have a to-the-second updated copy.  But Adra had an idea, and that's what she was going to do.

In spite of her attempt at getting lost in the hallways beforehand, Adra found the simulator rooms with ease.  It was hardly surprising to her that they would be near the pilots' quarters, and their lounge.  The TIE fighter hanger bays were the next level down, after all.

A glance around told her that nobody present would give her a second look or a question as to what she was doing.  The sims would, of course, be formatted to the standard TIE fighter version or, if she was lucky, a TIE advanced.  Across the room, at the other door, a group of five pilots entered.  Imperial pilots, of course, all dressed impeccably in their black garb.

Biting back a noise of disgust, the Jedi pilot wandered closer to one of the simulators.  Fishing into one of the pockets in her gray uniform, Adra pulled out the fruit of her 0550 labor.  It was a simulator program, one that would establish her craft as an X-Wing and conform the controls to the same.  The idea behind her making it at 0550 that morning, other than utter boredom and the inability to fall back to sleep, was so that if she found a free simulator that _wasn't_ a TIE model she wanted to fly, she could fly an X-Wing.

That thought in mind, the datacard was pushed into the waiting slot and a spare flight helmet- Imperial black, as standard- flew from the racks to her hands.  A minute later, Adra had positioned herself in the cockpit of the sim, and was now waiting for the simulator to get through the 'rules' stage.  She'd included them, another aspect of boredom, merely because she'd had nothing else to do.

It was a take on the Bilbringi scenario she and Tyria had worked out, but it wasn't quite the same.  In this, there were only four squadrons of TIE fighters, and the _Knight Hammer_.  The general assumption was, of course, that on board the _Knight Hammer_ Jori Daragon, Admiral Daala and Ysanne Isard.  The computer was programmed to simulate eleven other X-Wings, all of them fully equipped, at the rates of pretty-decent pilots.  The task?  Blow up the _Knight Hammer_, of course.

Now Adra just had to hope none of the Imp pilots decided to look in on what sim she was using.  They'd undoubtedly notice that it was not one any _loyal_ Imperial would dare to attempt.  Good thing she didn't fall into the category in question.

It took thirty minutes, and three X-Wing 'pilots' to complete the sim half-decently.  Adra had made it something that could be beaten so long as you could fly half-decently.  She'd purposely avoided a take on the Requiem concept.  That one was just bad news if you didn't know a thing about flying.

The Jedi sat calmly in the cockpit, wondering silently about her fellow Wraiths, all of whom were supposed to be at Cloud City by now.  She hadn't spoken to Nicola since the _Gorgon_'s last reversion to realspace, and that had been a day ago.  Since that time she'd confirmed that the sithwitch Isard was on board the Star Destroyer.  Another thing she 'overheard' was the talk of the Imperial pilots concerning their not-quite-inactive part in the Cloud City business.

There was one more reversion to realspace before the final jump point, one that would be vitally important for her to be awake through.  She needed to talk to Nicola again, to make sure she got the information before the actual rendezvous at Cloud City.  She had one day to think about the time they'd be in realspace- something like five standard minutes- and then another day and a half before Daala came to find her and inform her that they were reverting in a few hours and that she needed to go 'play her part'.

That, in some ways, was a relief.  That Admiral Daala could be so thick-headed and stupid was, at this point, a blessing.  The woman had accepted her sudden 'Imperial pride, Go Imps!' attitude as an expected occurrence.  Because of it, Adra had practically a free run of the ship, excluding five places, and she didn't even need to be accompanied by a stormtrooper, or other.  It was scary, but Daala was almost acting _civil_.

In the meantime, Jori Daragon had 'lost favor' in Daala's eyes.  Yet at the same time, Adra had to wonder.  The Sith mother held command of one of the most powerful weapons in creation:  the third Death Star.  Unlike the first two, none of the New Republic's Intelligence officers had been able to find a flaw in the designs.  Jori wasn't stupid, that's for sure, considering she edited all the original plans.

The shear magnitude of such power, a power that had been around for over five years now, was enough to point to Isard's terms with Jori.  It was obvious, when Adra overheard them talking together in a hallway, that the pair was not as they appeared.  In formal situations the Sith and the Imperial appeared to hold each other in some form of mutual respect, but anything past that would look to be a lie.  Yet the conversation Adra had overheard implied otherwise.

There was no doubt in her mind that Jori and Isard were working to achieve some common goal.  And whatever they were attempting, it was being done behind Admiral Daala's back.

However, that part came as no surprise.  Admiral Daala hadn't been promoted for her brains, a thing Tyria Ritril had noted on more than one occasion.  Instead, the showy redhead had been promoted merely because she had turned out "favors" to the higher ups.

Even after knowing all this for years, it still made Adra laugh.  The Imperial's only active Admiral wasn't even promoted for merit.  It was true, Ysanne Isard did parade around in red admiral's uniform, and it was also true that somewhere in the Unknown Regions Grand Admiral Thrawn was lurking unseen.  But Thrawn hadn't posed a major threat to the New Republic in a few good years, nor did he appear to have the fleet to do so.  All of his ships, minus the _Chimaera_, were under Daala's command.

Of course, being 'under Daala's command' might not mean that much.  Ysanne Isard had undeniably returned.  The question was, did Daala still remain the military figurehead, or was Isard pushing her to the side?  While Isard was and always had been an Imperial Intelligence agent, she had also managed to reign supreme for some time when it came to military might set against the New Republic.

A puzzling question, most certainly, but one that Adra didn't have the time to muse over in a sim cockpit.  She got herself out of the cockpit, shaking her head out of the black helmet.  She much preferred her own, but beggars certainly weren't allowed to be choosers.

Using the Force, she sent the helmet back to its spot on the rack, then walked over to the simulator slot.  One push of a single button caused the disk to pop up and out, its end poking out about a centimeter.  Taking the waiting datacard, Adra turned and began walking to the exit.  As of yet, the pilots still in the sim rooms hadn't raised any comments, though that was hardly not expected to be the case when a Jedi Mind Trick was involved.

Approximately three-quarters of the way back to her room, Adra stopped walking, offering a silent string of mixed language's curses aimed at her cramping calf muscles.  Ah yes, one of the 'joys' of being three and a half months pregnant.  It was one that she had actually forgotten in her present circumstances, all things considered.  But being on a Star Destroyer did nothing to sway the effects of cramping muscles; they would cramp whenever they pleased, no matter your place in the universe.  At this rate, it would be all she could do to return to her quarters at a steady pace.  Cursed cramps.


End file.
